Mailbox attachment



Sept. 16, 1969 H. o. SAATZER MAILBOX ATTACHMENT Filed May a, 1967 9INVENTOR.

#iLE/V .0. 8447-25 2 United States Patent 3,467,303 MAILBOX ATTACHMENTHelen D. Saatzer, 1347 8th Ave. N., St. Cloud, Minn. 56301 Filed May 8,1967, Ser. No. 636,896 Int. Cl. B65d 91/00 US. Cl. 23235 9 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A clamping attachment for a mailbox includinga rigid elongated link pivotally connected to the door of the mailbox ata point below the axis of pivot of the door and extending upwardly andsecured to the flagstaif so as to automatically lift the flag out of itsretaining socket when the mailbox door is opened and cause the same tobe moved from an upright to a lowered horizontal position.

This invention relates to mailboxes. More particularly, it relates to anattachment for a mailbox constructed and arranged to automatically lowerthe flag of the mailbox upon opening of the door of the latter.

It is a general object of my invention to provide a novel and improvedmeans for automatically moving the flag of the mailbox from an uprightto a lowered position upon the opening of the door.

A more specific object is to provide a novel and improved mechanicalattachment for a mailbox which will lift the flag of the mailbox out ofits socket and move it to a lowered position as a result of the openingof the door of the mailbox.

A more specific object is to provide a novel attachment which can besimply and easily applied to the door of a mailbox to automatically movethe flag of the mailbox from a raised to lowered position upon theopening of the door and which can :be manufactured relativelyinexpensively.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fullyappear from the following description, made in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to thesame or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a mailbox with an embodiment of myinvention attached thereto with the flag being shown in raised position;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the same box after the door has beenmoved to open position and showing the flag moved to lowered position;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the box with the door moved to closedposition after the flag has been lowered; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the attachment only as viewed from theopposite side of that seen in FIGURES 1-3.

One embodiment of my invention, as shown in FIGURES 1-4, includes anelongated U-shaped clamp member 5 which is adapted to be slid upwardlyover the lower edge of the door 6 of a mailbox indicated generally as 7.This mailbox is of the conventional type approved by the United StatesPost Office Department and includes a container member '8 having an openforward portion 9, a closed rear portion 10, and a bottom 11. It alsoincludes a flagstaif 12 which carries a flag 13 at its upper end. Thelower end portion of the flagstaff 12 has a slot 14 formed therein andextending at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the staff 12 to causethe latter to pivot about a pivot pin 15 which is carried by thecontainer 8. A socket member 16 encircles the lower end of the flagstaff12 and is adapted to receive the lower end thereof "ice and hold thesame when so doing in upright position as is conventional. An abutmentmember 17 is also carried by the container 8 to prevent the flagstafffrom moving beyond horizontal position when lowered.

The clamp member 5 is pivotally mounted upon the lower end of anelongated rigid link 18 by means of a pivot pin 19. Secured to the upperend portion of the link 18 is a reflector member 20 at its outer surfaceand a rigid loop member 21 at its inner surface. The loop member 21 issecured to the link member 18 by means of a bolt 22 and extends aroundthe flagstaff 12 in a loose sliding fit so that as the flagstaff 12 isswung in an arc, the loop member 21 may move longitudinally thereof asis required because of the difference in location of the pivots of thelink 18 and the flagstaff 12.

It will be noted that when the attachment is secured to the door of themailbox, the axis of pivot of the link 18 which is the bolt 19 isdisposed below the axis of pivot 23 of the door 6. As a consequence,when the door 6 is swung to open position, the axis of pivot of the link18 is swung rearwardly and upwardly and this causes the link 18 to liftthe fiagstaif 12 out of its socket 16 and swing it rearwardly during theinitial phases of movement of the door 6. Thereafter, as the door 6continues to move toward open position, as shown in FIGURE 2, the link18 and flagstaff 12 swing downwardly and rearwardly to the positionshown in FIGURE 2. When the door 6 is moved again toward closedposition, the forward movement of the bolt 19 which swings with the doorpermits the flagstaff 12 and the link 18 to continue to lower to thehorizontal position shown in FIGURE 3.

From the above, it can be seen that I have provided a simple andinexpensive attachment for the conventional mailbox which can be appliedvery easily and can be manufactured very inexpensively and which willautomatically cause the fiag of the mailbox to be moved from a raised toa lowered position upon the opening of the door. Thus, the rural mailboxpatron, when desiring to mail a letter, merely places the letter in themailbox and closes the door and then swings the fiag to the verticalposition whereat it rests within the socket 16. When the mailman opensthe door 6 of the mailbox to obtain the letter, the flag will beautomatically moved to the position shown in FIGURE 2 and upon closingthe mailbox after having withdrawn the letter, the flag will move to thefull horizontal position shown in FIGURE 3.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention which consists of the mattershown and described herein and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A mailbox comprising:

(a) an elongated container adapted to be mounted to extend horizontallyand having open forward and closed rearward end portions and having abottom;

(b) a door pivotally mounted on said container adjacent its bottom andat its forward end and being swingable between open and closedpositions;

(c) a staff mounted on the exterior of said container adjacent itsforward end and having upper and lower end portions;

(d) a lost-motion connection connecting the lower end portion of saidstaff to said container and permitting said staif to swing between ahorizontal rearwardly extending position and an upright position;

(e) a flag carried by the upper end portion of said staff;

(f) an upwardly facing socket member mounted on said container inposition to receive the lower end of said staff member when the latteris moved to vertical position and being adapted to receive and supportthe same in upright position;

(g) a rigid link pivotally mounted on said door at a point below theaxis of pivot thereof and extending upwardly to the upper end portion ofsaid staff; and

(h) loose-fitting means connecting the upper end portionof said link tothe upper end portion of said staff to cause said staff to be lifted outof the socket and swing rearwardly toward a horizontal position as saiddoor is swung open.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, and a clamp member engagingopposite sides of said door adjacent the bottom of said container andpivotally mounting said link on said door.

3. The structure defined in claim 1, and a flattened U-shaped clampmember engaging the inner and outer surfaces of said door adjacent thebottom of said container and pivotally supporting said link on saiddoor.

4. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said means is comprised of asliding connector carried by said link and engaging said staff forsliding movement longitudinally thereof.

5. In combination:

(a) a mailbox having a pivoted door swingable between open and closedpositions;

(b) a staff pivotally mounted on said mailbox about a slot formed in thelower end portion of said staff and being pivotable between horizontaland upright positions;

() a flag mounted on said staff and movable therewith;

(d) a socket mounted on said mailbox in position to receive the lowerend of said staff therein and being adapted to hold said staff inupright position when so received therein;

(e) an elongated rigid link having upper and lower end portions;

(f) pivot structure carried by the lower end portion of said link;

(g) means securing said pivot structure and said link to said mailboxdoor below the pivot of the door and ahead of the pivot of said staffand causing said pivot structure to swing with said door; and

(b) means carried by the upper end portion of said link looselyconnecting the same with said staff adjacent said flag and causing saidstaff to be lifted out of said socket and swung rearwardly as the doorof said mailbox is swung open.

6. The structure in claim 5 wherein said means securing said pivotstructure and said link to the door is comprised of a clamp.

7. The structure defined in claim 5 wherein said means securing saidpivot structure and said link to the door is comprised of a U-shapedclamp receiving said pivot structure within the closed end thereof.

8. The structure defined in claim 5 wherein said means connecting theupper portion of said link to the staff of the flag is comprised of asliding connector carried by said link and adapted to engage the stafffor sliding movement longitudinally thereof.

9. The structure defined in claim 5 wherein said means connecting theupper portion of said link to the staff of the flag is comprised of aloop member encircling the staff in loose-fitting relation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,521,397 12/1924 Scott 232-351,626,320 4/ 1927 Alms 232-35 2,092,561 9/1937 Sandifur 232-35 2,684,1977/1954 Babcock 232-35 2,809,780 10/1957 Doefsch 232-35 2,859,913 11/1958Paschke ct al. 232-35 2,889,981 6/1959 Hunt 232-35 2,954,920 10/ 1960Harger 232-35 FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner

